Rose of May
by stormyfate
Summary: A few points in Sakura's life as an ANBU Captain. Songfic. NejiSaku towards the end. Character Death.


Stormy: After reading this over, I noticed the story goes way too fast, so I apologize for that. I started writing this insanely late/early. Anyway, I hope you can enjoy this regardless of it's flaws, if not, please feel free to pelt me with tomatoes! *grabs the umbrella*

Stormy: Must there be a Disclaimer on a Fanfiction website?

Random people: *nods*

Stormy: Fine -_-

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Rose of May, Those belong to Kishimoto and Katethegreat19. **

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_**Her heart underneath,**_

_**Cries quietly**_

"ANBU Squad nine, I'm assigning you to your first mission." The Godaime said, resting her chin on her interlaced fingers. One of the ANBU whooped in excitement.

"Ba-chan! What's our mission? Eh? Eh?"

"Shut up, brat! Captain." She spoke, as a pink haired kunoichi stepped forward.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?"

"Your mission, is to hunt down and eliminate," Squad nine tensed.

"Uchiha Sasuke." Two of the six hearts broke at once, but both remained silent, one out of respect and duty, the other out of shock and loss of words.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." The pink haired captain of squad nine spoke, leaving no room for argument with the rest of the squad, as she turned on her heel and walked out the door. Nobody saw the lone tear that fell down her porcelain cheek hidden behind her mask.

_**This part of me,**_

_**I choose not to see**_

Squad nine jumped through the trees ignoring Naruto's complaints and shouts of "CAN'T WE JUST CAPTURE HIM!" They reached Sasuke's camp and jumped out of the trees into the small clearing in a triangle formation ,with Sakura at the front, Neji and Naruto right behind her and Shikamaru, Shino and Tenten in the back.

"Uchiha Sasuke, and the rest of Team Taka, by order of the Godaime Hokage, you are to be eliminated." Sakura shouted emotionlessly.

"Excuse me? Ha! As if _you_ could defeat my Sasuke-kun!" yelled a red-haired girl wearing brown glasses.

"_Your_ Sasuke-kun?" She snorted "Please, spare me. He is not yours, he belongs to Konohagakure no Sato, besides, he hates annoying girls." She said in a bored tone.

"Oh, like you would know bitch!"

"Karin." Sasuke spoke for the first time. She stared at him long enough for Sakura to throw a kunai at her, it hit her in the neck and killed her instantly. Sasuke widened his eyes and looked back at her surprised.

"What the hell?" Suigetsu yelled in shock. "Jesus man, I know she's a bitch, but, Holy hell!"

"You don't sound too disappointed." Sakura held back tears as she stared at the dead woman. '_Who am I when I put on this mask?'_

_**What lives must I take,**_

_**for fealty's sake?**_

Sakura stared through her mask at the four dead Shinobi, She cried along with Naruto, just quietly. How could she kill her love, and all these people just because Tsunade told her to? Was fealty really worth it?

_**How much blood must stain, **_

_**This warriors blade?**_

She stared at her standard ANBU katana, soaked in their blood. So much blood… '_How many people do I have to kill to get to where I want to be? Where do I want to be…?_'

_**War leaves its trail, **_

_**in moonlight so pale .**_

They sealed Sasuke's body in a scroll to be buried in the Uchiha Compound, and destroyed the rest of Team Taka's remains, and yet the small clearing where their battle took place, shone like a flowing river under the pale moonlight, the blood reflecting it's silver glow.

_**Its shadows they flow**_

_**in rivers,in rivers.**_

They ran home through the shadows, and crossed rivers, all the while Naruto and Sakura wept for the loss of their beloved Team mate.

_**So put on my mask,**_

_**I'll go where they ask. **_

_**Two years later:**_

'_When I put on this mask, I am just a puppet, I'll do anything. All she has to do is ask… .' _Sakura would have cried for her lost innocence, but, becoming ANBU had made her Jaded. She stared at the mask in her lap and traced the familiar scratches and markings of it's feline-Esque features.

_**So I might once again see, **_

_**the Roses of May.**_

"Squad nine, I congratulate you on your successful mission." Tsunade announced. Squad nine remained silent until their Captain stepped forward,

"Tsunade-Shishou, when will we get our next mission?" She asked.

"What? Sakura, you just got back after a six month long infiltration mission, and you're already wanting to leave again? Take a break." She said disapprovingly.

"Gomen, Shishou." she said bowing. "Staying in the village too long, reminds me of my long lost Roses of May." She said sadly.

Only Tsunade and the rest of her squad knew the Roses of May stood for her innocence.

_**Staining my soul and, **_

_**Stinging my eyes,**_

Even after all the death and blood she had seen, Sakura still hated it. It still stained her already ink black soul, and it would always made her eyes sting when she was forced to kill an innocent wife or child of an enemy lord.

_**the red on my hands,**_

_**won't wash away, wash away,**_

_**no where to run from what I have done,**_

Sakura woke up from her nightmare, covered in cold sweat. She woke up and began scrubbing her hands vigorously, muttering "The red, won't wash away…" she washed her hands until they were raw, and kept going until her palms started to bleed. "I cannot run from what I have done." she sobbed, as the face every innocent she had killed flashed through her mind.

_**I'm no longer, no longer, **_

_**A Rose of May.**_

Sakura stared at the rose Neji handed to her and smiled when he said, "Your innocence was ripped from you unfairly." She threw her arms around him and wept when he said, "I am no Rose of May, either."

_**fate holds the blade before you,**_

_**mirrored in maiden's eyes.**_

If one was to look into Sakura's eyes, they would see sadness and sorrow. The blade of fate had fallen, and it had cut out her heart in the process.

_**Far from myself, I fly, **_

_**into the perilous skies.**_

Sakura never felt completely there anymore. She would stare at the birds in envy as the flew through the sky without a care in the world, so free. Now, she understood why Neji loved them so much.

_**and they said,**_

_**follow the blade before you,**_

_**fear fall and courage rise**_

"Let fate guide you, Sakura, it will help you face your fears," Neji said softly.

_**leave all your tears behind you,**_

_**far from where innocence lies.**_

"Leave all your sadness behind you, and forget about your lost innocence, no use in crying over spilled tea." Sakura smiled and leaned on him, she couldn't tell you how many times he'd said that to her, but even still after all these years, it never failed to comfort her. No, _he _never failed to comfort her. After Sasuke's death, Naruto had become quiet and cold, so Neji had taken his place as her shoulder to cry on, he was her best friend.

_**Cage of the kings,**_

_**No need for wings,**_

_**So turn them to stone,**_

_**from roses to bone.**_

"ANBU Squad nine, huh? They say you're the best. The "Royalty" amongst the ANBU. We'll see about that." Said the leader of the rogue ninja who were attacking them. Sakura rushed at him with her katana and sliced his arm, he jumped back and hissed at the pain as the other six went off towards the rest of them.

Sakura dodged a kick sent for her legs and threw a chakra filled punch at the rogue's jaw, she inwardly cringed at the sickening crack of his jaw shattering. He howled in pain and aimed another kick towards her stomach. She dodged this easily and stabbed him in the chest with her katana, he fell to the floor clutching his chest moaning in agony. She turned to see her squad had taken down the rest of the rogue ninja.

"We are indeed the royalty of ANBU." She said coldly, "That's why you shouldn't fuck with us, did you honestly expect to win?" she scoffed and stepped on his neck, crushing his trachea.

"From talking of your lost Innocence to That, you are quite a confusing individual, Taichou." Neji said staring blankly at the dead rogue beneath his captains foot.

"Just now figuring this out, Fuku-Taichou?" She deadpanned.

_**When you look at me,what do you see?**_

_**this costume I weave disfiguring me...**_

"Ne, Neji, when you look at me, what do you see?" She asked quietly once they were alone. '_I see my cold attitude to everyone but you warping my mind..'_ She thought bitterly.

"I see my beautiful Taichou." He said smirking at the blush that dusted across her cheeks.

_**Storm clouds are creeping closer,**_

_**danger is drawing near**_

Ominous clouds filled the sky, and all the shinobi knew, danger was coming. Sakura and Neji threw on their ANBU uniforms and teleported to the Hokage's office, where they found Shikamaru and the Godaime preparing to fight off the Sora-nins that were about to attack the village.

_**why am I not protecting, **_

_**all that I once held dear?**_

Sakura soon realized she wasn't with Naruto protecting Kaka-sensei's resting place, nor was she protecting Sasuke's grave. She inwardly cringed when she thought of how horrible she was, protecting her Team Mate instead of her first love's resting place! Her Team mate who was perfectly capable of protecting himself without her assistance. She watched Neji fight of a few Sora Chunin and realized, she had to protect what she had left. She couldn't protect a dead man, she had people who were alive that still needed her. With her new clear mind, she rushed back into the fight.

_**and you said,**_

_**"Break free from all that holds you, **_

_**kings hand and maiden's tear,"**_

Sakura woke up in the hospital a few days later with Neji by her side holding her hand.

"N...Neji?" she whispered.

"Hai, Sakura, it's me." He said quietly.

"Wha… What happened?"

"We won," He leaned over her and kissed her softly, "Let go of the past that holds you down,"

"_**run now into my arms,**_

_**together we'll conquer our fears."**_

"Together we'll conquer our fears…" he whispered. She widened her eyes and threw her arms around him and cried softly into his shoulder.

_**Led here by fate,**_

_**No longer afraid,**_

Sakura smiled as she walked to the Hyuuga compound, she was no longer afraid to love someone other than Sasuke. He probably wouldn't care anyway, why should she?

_**So here now I lay,**_

_**My Roses of May.**_

Sakura and Neji were laying down in the grass watching the clouds and the cherry blossoms falling from the sakura trees.

They're prettier than roses anyway.

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Oh wow O_O That was random :'D Drabble/Songfic! At the same time, Le Gasp! Oh and Random NejiSaku, I have NO idea where the hell that came from I swear, I didn't plan that! It just kinda fit? O_o Also This song is amazing, it's Rose of May by Katethegreat19 on youtube you should check it out :D Thanks for reading, you have amazing mental power if you actually got through all that ^^; I have I feeling I'm going to regret posting this in the morning. *stares at clock* Err.. Afternoon... Or...Whenever I wake up. (It's 6:36 a.m. YAY!)


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